There's a traditional Cambodian proverb that says knowledge comes from learning and wealth comes from searching.

It is a big part of what drives Sophal Ear to understand his native country of Cambodia, whose government nearly took his life in the 1970s when he was an infant.

The saying also reflects the beliefs of his mother, Cam Youk Lim, whom he credits with saving his life and that of his siblings and their offspring when she bluffed her way across the Cambodian border during the height of the Khmer Rouge's power.

Ear is sharing the story of his life through two projects. The film "The End/Beginning: Cambodia" is a documentary directed by Angeline Swee and narrated by Ear, an assistant professor at the department of national security affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey.

Ear also has a new book, "Aid Dependence in Cambodia: How Foreign Assistance Undermines Democracy." Ear wrote the book on his own. He said the content is his personal research and does not reflect the views of NPS.

The documentary expands on a talk Ear delivered in 2009 at the Technology Entertainment and Design (TED) Conference, the famous idea-sharing conference that began in Monterey and has featured such esteemed speakers as Bill Clinton, Al Gore and Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin and others.

When Ear shared the story of his family's dramatic escape from Cambodia with the audience at TED, his mother stood up to receive a standing ovation from an audience that included Microsoft founder Bill Gates.

Released in 2011, the film uses audio of Ear's mother, recorded when Ear interviewed her for a 2005 New York Times magazine piece.

The story begins with the Khmer Rouge entering Ear's home province of Phnom Penh on April 17, 1975.

Upon their arrival, soldiers immediately evacuated the city's residents. His parents — wealthy urbanites who owned a pharmacy and a mansion — were eventually forced to toil in the rice fields.

Youk watched countless people die unnecessarily.

"Son, do write about those things. So merciless," she said. "Our blood, our people, our Khmer race, beaten to death like animals. No mercy."

In fall 1975, the Khmer Rouge announced that Vietnamese citizens would be allowed to leave Cambodia and return to Vietnam. Youk had grown up speaking Vietnamese with friends and neighbors, but was far from fluent. Still, she seized the opportunity to flee.

Youk lied to authorities and said her family members were Vietnamese natives. She knew if the family was caught, they would be killed.

"I said to stay is to die and to go is to die," Youk said. "I said I might as well go. I do not want to stay."

Two months after placing their name on a list, the family was led on foot for three days to another town. During the trip, Ear's father died from dysentery and malnutrition.

The situation intensified when Ear's mother was interrogated, first by the Khmer Rouge and then by Vietnamese soldiers.

She gave fake names for everyone, unwittingly attributing female names to her sons and male names to her daughters. A Vietnamese woman who was also on the trip helped her brush up on the language.

The family was allowed entry into Vietnam. Upon arrival, Ear's mother declared Cambodian citizenship to obtain status as a political exile. The family was given one week to seek refuge with family or be banished to a collective farm, which was only a step up from their status under the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia.

On the final night of their stay, a family member rushed to the building where they were held, bribed guards and secured their freedom.

At each step along the way, Ear and his family were aided by strangers and good samaritans who ensured their safety.

"You can't just live in the clouds with your knowledge, you have to go out there and do something with it," said Ear, referring back to the Cambodian proverb, which shows up in both his documentary and book. "My late mother, she understood that no one is going to come out and rescue you. You benefit from people who are helping you, but it sets up a contrast of what happened in Cambodia the past two decades, which is the attitude of 'Hey, we'll depend on these outsiders to help us.'"

His book details the rampant corruption that has consumed that nation, transforming it into a populace dependent on foreign aid.

One of the statistics he mentions in his book is that over the past decade, for every dollar the government has spent, 94.3percent was received in foreign aid.

"It's almost like if I told you for every dollar you spend, I'll give you another dollar," he said. "It's severe aid dependence."

The only mention of Ear's past life as a Cambodian refugee is found in the book's forward, which is a condensed version of his documentary.

Earlier this month, Ear screened the film at Santa Catalina School and gave a presentation at the Carmel Authors and Ideas Festival. Festival founder Jim McGillan has already assured Ear will have a spot on the 2013 festival main stage.

Later this month, he'll visit Stanford and UC Berkeley. In November, he'll present at the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in Geneva.

He hopes to schedule more local talks and presentations, to share the story of his mother and his family's inspirational story.

Ear regards his mother as a risk-taking life saver. He closes out the film by reminding his children, nieces and nephews that without her love, none of them would be alive today.

"She saved six lives in the killing fields," Ear said, "And with 14 grandchildren and counting, she has saved 20 lives to date."